"Humans Who Use AI Will Replace Those Who Don’t”: Bhubaneswar’s Job Market Reacts

Bhubaneswar: "AI won’t replace you, but someone using AI might.” That’s the sentiment echoed by many tech professionals in Bhubaneswar, where a quiet but significant transformation is underway in the job market. As artificial intelligence continues to automate tasks and reshape industries, the age-old question has returned with urgency: Will AI take our jobs?

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The concern isn’t new, but the speed at which AI tools like ChatGPT, Midjourney, and automated coding assistants have entered daily workflows is unprecedented. In Bhubaneswar, once known primarily for its education hubs and IT parks, a growing AI ecosystem is starting to shape the way companies think about talent, productivity, and hiring.

“AI is a tool, not a threat,” says Ankita Sahu, co-founder of a Bhubaneswar-based AI startup focused on healthcare analytics. “But the tool needs a skilled operator. We’re not laying off people because of AI — we’re reskilling them to work alongside it. In fact, we’re hiring more data-literate employees now than ever before.”

Yet, not everyone is optimistic. Pranab Das, a 29-year-old content writer working with a digital marketing agency in Bhubaneswar, admits he felt anxious when clients began asking for AI-generated blogs. “I was scared initially — it felt like I was being replaced. But now, I use AI to brainstorm and edit. My workload has changed, not disappeared.”

This idea — that AI changes jobs rather than erases them — is echoed by several industry watchers in Odisha’s emerging tech corridor. A recent joint report by a local IT consortium and KIIT University projected that by 2027, nearly 40% of white-collar roles in sectors like HR, customer service, and even legal research will involve AI tools. However, rather than triggering mass unemployment, the report forecasts a surge in demand for AI-literate workers, especially those combining domain expertise with tech fluency.

Professor Manish Behera, who heads the Department of Computer Science at Utkal University, explains the nuance: “AI doesn’t understand context the way humans do. It’s brilliant at processing, but it still lacks judgment, ethics, and emotional intelligence — all of which are vital in medicine, law, design, and education. The future belongs to hybrids: people who can work with AI without being boxed in by it.”

Still, apprehension runs deep among job holders, especially those in roles involving routine processes. Kavita Mohanty, a 42-year-old back-office executive at a finance firm, shares her concern: “They introduced an AI-based document checker last year. It does in seconds what I took minutes to finish. I’m learning Excel macros and planning to join an online analytics course. It’s stressful but necessary.”

Meanwhile, Bhubaneswar’s startup scene is embracing AI as a force multiplier. Founders like Rahul Nayak of FreshServe, a cloud kitchen company using AI for inventory and delivery optimization, see it as an advantage rather than a replacement. “We’ve saved costs, yes, but more importantly, we’ve freed up human staff to focus on customer service and expansion. AI handles the boring stuff — our people still lead the brand.”

In government circles, there's growing interest in using AI for public service optimization, including health data mapping, traffic control, and citizen complaint redressal. Odisha's IT department recently announced an AI policy draft, focusing on upskilling and ethical deployment, signaling that the shift is institutional, not just industrial.

The verdict? AI will change jobs. But whether that’s a death sentence or a stepping stone depends on how quickly individuals and institutions adapt. In Bhubaneswar, the ground is already shifting — and those willing to evolve are finding that AI doesn’t end work, it redefines it.

As Professor Behera aptly puts it, “AI won’t replace humans. But humans who don’t embrace AI? They’ll be replaced by those who do.”